Burning Trust
by MerlinSpideyMacgyverB99
Summary: "Jack, what's wrong?" Mac asked, shaking away his own pain, fully taking in his partner. The heat couldn't of done anything good for Jack. Okay, step one get them out of the room Jack nearly burnt to death in. Step two, don't think about Jack nearly burning to death. Tumbling out of the doorway Mac had to hide a hiss of pain as his hand stilled Jack's unstable form (Fill for S2E14)


"This was a mistake!" Mac cried, before collapsing in on himself.

"Oh shoot- Mac, you alright buddy?" Jack was quick to try and sink to his partners level, but his feet weren't allowing for much movement. His head looking quickly down to his partner and then up towards the door, wondering where their back up was.

Some deep breaths came from Mac as he straightened himself back up.

"Y-yeah, yup, don't worry… All good." The kid looked pale, despite his attempt at a smile.

"I mean I don't believe you for a second there bud but-" Jack stopped abruptly a hand coming up to his head. Eyes squinting in pain.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Mac asked shaking away his own pain, fully taking in his partner. Knowing the heat couldn't of done anything good for Jack. Okay step one, get them out of the room Jack nearly burned to death in. Step two, don't think about Jack nearly burning to death.

"Nah- just dizzy, it's alright..." Jack mumbled, hand still holding the back of his head.

"Alright big guy, well lets get out here anyway yeah?" Mac said, without waiting for Jack's approval he braced himself for the pain and used his hands to pull Jack's arm over his shoulders. "Lean on me, we'll go slow."

"Let's do this." Jack nodded, stepping away from the furnace. The two huddled across the room, Jack leaning more and more on his partner as his burnt feet rubbed in his melted shoes, the room was only spinning slightly so he counted that as one win at least.

"Don't you worry Jack, not that much further, I promise there's help just outside." Mac reassured, concerned at Jack's lack of rambling. And also concerned about the man's injuries, his feet were obviously badly burnt but Jack had been in that furnace for a while and Mac had no idea what the guys holding him had done previously, Jack could just be dizzy from the heat or maybe he'd been hit in the head. What if the burning left scars? What if Jack's lungs were affected? Safe to say MacGyver was panicked, he needed to get Jack to medical now.

Tumbling out of the doorway, Mac had to hide a hiss of pain as his hand steadied Jack's unstable form.

"Mac?" Jack questioned, the fresh air clearing his head somewhat. Mac looked pale, and flushed – was the kid even breathing right? "Hey Mac what gives?"

"Medic!" Mac called, ignoring Jack's questions "Over here please. I have Agent Dolton."

Immediately a few on site paramedics swarmed them – relieving Jack from Mac's shoulders and relieving the delta from asking any more questions. They were quick to lift Jack onto a gurney.

"He's been exposed for a fairly long time to extreme heat, definitely check out his feet. And he was just experiencing dizzy spells and nausea." Mac rattled off quickly, ensuring the sole attention was on his partner. He walked with the team as they wheeled the bed over to the ambulance. A torch was shone in Jack's eyes as they started their initial assessment.

"Okay thank you that's very helpful, any allergies or intolerances we should know about?" The closest medic asked, he had a warm tone but an air of efficiency. One of which Mac was grateful for as he watched some painkillers already being prepared for Jack.

"No, nothing like that. He's strong though, so it may take a slightly higher amount." Mac admitted having learnt from their previous run ins with medication.

"Okay, no problem. Thank you" The medic nodded again, his team administering the painkillers "Anything else?"

Mac hesitated "just, I know it's early but he'll be okay right?"

The medic paused from his frantic activity for a minute, seeming to take MacGyver in properly for the first time "Yes, yes, he's badly burnt but there doesn't appear to be any head swelling and his feet are being wrapped as we speak. He's going to be just fine." Mac couldn't help his smile at that.

"Thank you… I'm gonna stay with him if that's ok?"

"Yeah of course that's just fine." The paramedic smiled again before turning and making his way to another group of people. With the good news settling in Mac's brain and the mission adrenaline burning away, the sting in his hands started to amplify. It felt like the flames were still there but this time growing from inside of his hands trying to battle their way out. He took a slow, measured breath. Oddly unsure and uncaring as to what to do about his hands, Mac placed all his current working brain activity on Jack. He swirled around, noting that his partner was now on the same bed but inside the ambulance. A different paramedic sat laughing at something he'd just said, before standing and walking away, Mac took that as his queue to enter.

"Agent Dolton, survives being burnt alive – Matty is not going to believe this one."

Jack chuckled, eyes shining "She's just gonna have to, let's be honest it's not the strangest thing to of happened to us."

"This is true" Mac confirmed, hovering awkwardly in the small space of the ambulance.

"Take a seat brother, you're making me dizzy." Jack gestured to the end of his bed.

Mac obliged him, sitting down as best he could without using his hands too much.

"You look like shit." Jack remarked as soon as Mac was comfortable.

"Yeah, well if I look like shit then can you imagine what you look like right now?" Mac fired back, smiling easily at his partner. Fuck though his hands were on fire.

"Right, talk to me Mac, what's going on?"

"What?" Mac blushed, his poker face slipping as his brain couldn't help but focus on the pain.

"You're being slow, normally you're way quicker than this. And now I'm not dizzy and high on the good stuff I am seeing a lot clearer." Jack's tone was serious, Mac sighed deeply. He didn't want Jack to be worrying right now, the man had just had a very stressful couple of hours and was no doubt feeling the affects of that.

"Jack, I appreciate it I do, but focus on you right now okay? Today was hard for all of us, but you've been through a lot, focusing on your recovery is the most important thing right now... I'm worried about you" Mac admitted, sure he wanted Jack off his case but he wanted his partner to know this more, he meant every word.

"Angus, I know what you're saying, of course I do. But I'm ok. I know that, and I knew you'd be coming so even if I got scared it never stopped me. Not for a second." The two shared an honest smile "Sooo, it's not gonna stop me now from ripping out my IV and-" Jack confessed, quickly moving his arm up to grab to IV line.

"No Jack, stop! … Ahh!" Mac cried, he hadn't even thought, just reacted and pushed Jack's hands away, forgetting what pain it might bring on his own hands.

Everything went black for a second, the only thing Mac aware of was the absolute fire of pain. His senses came back slowly, the pain, then his breath and then sound.

"Shit Mac, talk to me. Actually no breathe for me instead. That's it nice and slow." Jack was panicking, he hadn't meant to push Mac that far, had thought maybe he could trick the kid into exposing whatever was wrong. But Mac had surprised him, reaching out to help only to be yelling out painfully the next minute and throwing himself back wards, hands clasped right tight to his chest. Jack sat up abruptly, avoiding Mac's hands but trying to push the boy's face up, to see what was going on. The kid's skin felt too warm, and he slumped forwards in Jack's grip, forcing the delta to move his hands onto Mac's shoulders, trying to hold the kid sitting upright. Harsh breaths filled the space as Mac proved he was still conscious, but apparently not with it enough to respond to Jack.

"Breathe that's it." Jack tried to comfort, still unsure on how to proceed.

Mac's eyes flitted open, the form of his partner met his vision. Concerned, brown eyes, a frown. That wasn't right- he didn't want Jack to be frowning.

"You 'k? Y'r frowning" Mac spoke, the lack of sound that actually came out of his mouth surprising even himself.

"Yeah I'm frowning, I'm frowning because you are obviously injured and yet you never even told anyone… Why do we always have to do this Mac, huh?" Jack winced that had come out harsher then he intended.

"I'm sorry Jack – I k-know this isn't good, but you, you have to understand, you were being burnt alive and I wasn't going to make it in time. I didn't know what to do! My mind went completely fucking blank." Mac's tone was strong and emotional but his volume was quiet. Almost making it worse as Jack realised just how scared Mac had been. He gave his partner's shoulders a squeeze.

"But you did it Mac, I'm out of there thanks to you. Just like I knew I would be, I never doubted you."

Jack watched MacGyver closely, the kid had slightly more colour in his cheeks now, breathing more controlled and his body wasn't wound as tightly.

"Can I see your hands please?"

Mac went to hesitate but saw the guilt in his partners eye's, he didn't want to add to Jack's pain. So slowly he uncurled his hands from his chest, presenting them for Jack to look over. Jack's eyes roamed over his hands, a sharp held in breath, nothing was said for a while. The cogs in Jack's brain turning.

"Mac… Just how did you get me out of there?" Jack asked, eyes wide.

"I… I pushed the coffin off. Just put my hands on it and... pushed." Mac spoke gently, the atmosphere oddly still around them as Jack bent his head down fully comprehending just what Mac had done.

"I'm sorry Jack, I, it's like I said I couldn't even think. I just knew you were in there, that you had been in there too long, it was too hot and I wanted you out...I didn't want you to die." Tears slipped from MacGyver's lashes as he choked out that last statement.

"Brother." Jack exhaled, a comforting small smile on his face "It's ok." Tenderly Jack raised his hand, his palm resting on Mac's cheek for a second as the kid hiccuped through his tears before he took his thumb and brushed the tears away. Feeling a surge of protectiveness and love.

"I promise, no more burning, fire or flames for a long time. And I hope you know I really don't intend on going out that easily, I'll always fight to come back to you brother – and I know I only need to do half the work because you'll be fighting the whole way for me as well."

Mac nodded, the lump in his throat too prominent. His eyes burning with gratitude.

"Now let me properly take a look at these hands."

And that's how the evening went for the two; Jack, after checking with a medic, spent a good hour applying gels and creams to Mac hands, binding them softly with bandages till Mac was decked out in mittens. The two then migrated to the edge of the ambulance, talking lightly, teasing each other constantly, before coming to rest shoulder to shoulder as they looked out into the world.


End file.
